Let It Snow
by Tiny21Dancer
Summary: Korra and Bolin celebrate the most wonderful time of the year together. Christmas!Borra. Contains gooey fluffiness and some smut. You have been warned.
1. Mistletoe

**AN:** I've been getting a few Christmas-related prompts on Tumblr, so I figured I would group them here, separate from Snapshots. Christmas is my favorite time of the year and Borra is my favorite pairing, so both together makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Enjoy, and if you have anything you'd like to see, you have until Epiphany to send it to me!

* * *

"I love Christmas."

It's a cold December night, and Bolin is out in the stables helping Korra brush her polarbear dog. Naga gives off more than enough heat to keep them both warm, and the tiny fire ferret cuddled around his neck doesn't hurt, either. Her beautiful white fur, matted and smoky from a day in the city with Korra, is slowly returning to its normal state.

He glances at Korra over Naga's back. "That's right. It's soon, isn't it?"

Korra nods. "In a couple of weeks."

"Huh." He brushes through a particularly bad knot in the fur. "Can't say I've really thought about it… well, ever."

"Didn't you and your-" she nearly drops the brush. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"Sorry."

"No, it's okay," he assures her, and Naga lies down in contentment. She can see him grinning. "I don't want you to have to feel like anything you say will hurt me. I can take it."

Korra hesitantly smiles back. Naga's fur is completely brushed through and shiny, so she sits against her and watches the snowflakes fall outside. Bolin plops down beside her and rests his hands behind his head, enjoying the view, too. His eyes only occasionally shift over to the Avatar.

"Tell me about it," he says suddenly.

"What?"

"Christmas. I want to know about it."

She settles back against Naga and bites her lip as she thinks. "It's a season of joy and giving. People exchange gifts on Christmas morning, but the little kids think that they come from Santa Claus. They leave out milk and cookies."

"I remember that," he says quietly. She glances over, and he's staring off into the distance, a memory replaying in his eyes. "Mom helped Mako and I bake the cookies, but they turned out awful. We'd forgotten to put sugar in the dough."

Korra wrinkles her nose, and he beams fondly at her. The flutter her heart does must just be from Naga's steady breathing. He gives her an intense look with those bright green eyes, and a blush creeps onto her cheeks.

_Definitely not from Naga._

"Um," she continues, her train of thought lost. "People are all really nice to each other, because we're just happy to be alive and together. Nobody's really mean. You decorate in green and red, all these really pretty, shiny things. And you hang up mistletoe."

He furrows his brow. "Mistletoe?"

"It's this little plant. A branch off of it. Green, with red berries. You hang it from the ceiling or a doorway, and if two people are under it at the same time… they have to kiss."

Her blush darkens as she describes this, but she tries not to think about it.

"Sounds romantic."

"It is," she says. "Mom and Dad had some at home. It was really gross."

"Oh?" he asks, and is it just her, or is he leaning closer? "Well… do I get a kiss?"

Her heart nearly stops. Korra uses all her effort and looks Bolin straight in the eye. "Only if you catch me under the mistletoe."

He grins at her slyly. "Challenge accepted."

—

Korra forgets about this challenge almost immediately, which he supposes works to his advantage. His first obstacle is finding some of the stuff. He has no idea where to look for it, having never had to shop for anything like it before. After two unsuccessful trips into the city, coming home empty-handed, he resorts to dejectedly kicking rubble off of the cliff's edge.

"What's got you down?"

He starts; the voice came from above him. Tilting his head backwards, he sees Ikki hanging upside down from a particularly large limb of the moon peach tree. The tiny airbender cocks her head and grins at him.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" he grumbles.

"Shouldn't _you_?"

He can't come up with an answer to her deflection, and runs his hands through his hair in frustration. "I can't find any mistletoe."

"Mistletoe?" she asks, letting go of the branch and softening her fall to the ground with a pocket of air. "Whaddaya need that for?"

He feels his face immediately turn red. "Well, Korra said-"

"Oooooooh!" Ikki squeals, and Bolin covers his ears. "I knew this was about Korra! Are you gonna ask her to marry you yet?"

"M-marry me? No!"

"But you two would be so perfect together! You could eat clouds with spoons and live in a castle and-" Ikki prattles, waving her arms and pacing in circles

"Yeah. Yeah. I just have to get _her_ to see that we're perfect together. And to do_that_, I need mistletoe."

Ikki's face lights up. "You're gonna kiss her! Aren't you!"

She has her answer when he bashfully looks at the ground.

"So, do you want my help?"

He perks up. "You can help me?"

"Course I can. Well, we'd have to get Jinora in on this, too. She knows more."

"Let's do it."

—

_"Phoradendron serotinum_ is a hemi-parasitic shrub which relies on the nutrients of the host tree for growth, though it can perform its own photosynthesis. Its roots infiltrate the xylem and phloem of the trunk, which-"

Bolin hears nothing but buzzing, and cuts her off. "That's great, Jinora - I just need to find some."

She flips a page in her novel. "You didn't let me finish. The genus _Phoradendron_ is indigenous to the Americas. Here, we'd most likely find _Viscum album_, the subspecies _meridianum_, which has yellow fruit. One of the trees here on Air Temple Island probably has it growing on it."

—

He's able to pluck a small twig of it after climbing the tallest oak and nearly plunging to his death. The next challenge is to hang it up in a place where he knows he and Korra will have to cross paths.

While the air acolytes help Tenzin and Pema's family decorate, he attaches it to a doorway with a ribbon. It's between the dining room and the hallway to the girls' dormitory, so he knows she'll have to pass under it. At breakfast the morning after he hangs it, he leans casually against a nearby wall, waiting for her to appear.

"Morning, Bolin."

"Oh, hey, Mako," he greets his brother as smoothly as he can. It must look unnatural, because Mako pauses to give him a strange look, but ultimately shrugs and keeps going.

He's forced to stand there while the rest of the family gathers. Bolin sees Pema kiss the top of baby Rohan's head, Tenzin stoop to kiss Jinora's hand, and a very awkward (at least for him) smooch when Asami comes in. Korra arrives once he's already at the table, and he groans internally, still plotting in his head.

—

He places the now-wilting sprig of mistletoe in various strategic locations around the island but can never seem to catch Korra. She manages to slip by him or simply disappear. It's disheartening, and by Christmas Eve, he's given up. Out in the cold, he sits on a step, the almost dead mistletoe in his gloved hands. Pabu curls up around his neck, inside his jacket, keeping warm. The animal's steady heartbeat is a comfort to his own aching heart. Bolin sighs, watching his breath turn frosty white in the winter air, carried away by the wind.

He tosses the mistletoe aside. It'll never work.

"Hey."

He starts; Korra surprised him. She grins at him sideways, the ends of her hair being picked up by the same December winds. It's all down to cover her ears and neck, her cheeks are flushed from the cold, lips chapped, and he doesn't think he's ever seen anything more beautiful.

"Hey, Korra," he says, trying to hide his disappointment.

She loops her elbow through his and leans her head on his shoulder. "Beautiful night," she comments, and it's like they're back in the stables with Naga so many weeks ago.

He's not looking at the sky. Not at all. "It sure is."

Korra sighs happily and shifts her head a little bit. "You know, I really love this. You and me. Just watching the stars together. We don't have to always have something to _say_. It's easy."

Bolin has nothing to say back to her, but he needn't worry, because she continues.

"I mean… it's always been like this. You're just there for me, however I need you. You've never hurt me."

"I'll never hurt you." It's an automatic response.

She smiles shyly. "Yeah. Bo, I really… I want to give us another chance."

He blinks at her when she turns her head to look at him. "You… what?"

"Me. You. It could work, you know."

"I know."

He can just sense her starting to lean into him, and he leans into her, his heart pounding, breathing erratic, nerve endings screaming _finally_ and _yes, this feels right._

The feel of tiny paws scampering up his head breaks his concentration on the girl before him, and, annoyed, he looks up.

Pabu stands on a mass of black hair, holding a sprig of mistletoe.

Korra's wide grin is infectious, and a laugh bubbles out her throat. When she looks back at Bolin, a happy light gleams in her eyes, along with something else that he just can't put his finger on.

"Looks like you caught me under the mistletoe."

"Yeah," he says, and takes her face in his hands, their lips just a breath apart. "Looks like I did."

The first touch of her lips on his sets off sparks that ignite a fire in his heart. She's the sweetest thing he's ever tasted, warm and soft and _real_. He tries to delve deeper into her, attempting to show her that he loves her, cherishes her, how long he's wanted her.

When they break apart and silently press their foreheads together, eyes closed, she hums a happy little tune and he just knows that this is the beginning of forever.

He really does love Christmas.


	2. Countdown

**AN:** I was asked for New Year's Eve smut, and, being the cheesehead that I am, produced this.

* * *

_"It's only ten minutes to go until midnight, folks, and it is a madhouse in the streets! Get your champagne ready and have someone to kiss, because a new year is almost here!"_

"Do you wanna go out to the square to watch the countdown?"

"What?"

"The countdown. Everyone kinda gathers round and counts off the seconds to the new year and-"

"Bolin, I know what happens on New Year's Eve."

"Oh. So do you want to go?"

Korra frowns at him, her fingers playing along the edge of his shirt. "You just asked me to _marry_ you. Did you think I was planning on letting you out of this bedroom for another 48 hours?"

Her new fiancee blinks at her, realization slowly dawning on his face as he looks at her. "Oh. _Oh_." He leans across the bed to kiss her, cupping her face in his large hands. "Sorry."

Korra sighs happily, letting her hands wander over the broad expanse of his back. She feels muscles flex involuntarily beneath her attention and grins to herself. "It's okay."

It's a dance they know well, the movements and planes of each other's body long since memorized. He's learned just where to touch her to elicit a sigh or a gasp or sometimes even a scream. He knows that when her toes curl, she's just on the brink, only needing a slight push to fall over, and exactly how fast her breathing will get.

Bolin and Korra move fluidly together, shedding clothes, an equal push and pull in a display of unison and trust. She reaches for the back of her neck to untie her necklace, but he grabs her wrist.

"Keep it on," he says with a shy smile. She returns the expression and presses a soft kiss to his lips. He pushes his hips forward and enters her with a grunt, the sensation familiar and newly exhilarating at the same time.

They continue on, ignoring the bells ringing and people shouting outside the window. They could be the only two people in the world and not know it, so caught up in each other. Soft, panting breaths cut through the night air, the slap of skin on skin reverberating against the walls.

Korra's skin is flushed and rosy, sweat pooling around the blue betrothal necklace so lovingly carved for her over weeks. She digs half moons into his shoulders with her nails, biting her lips, eyes squeezed shut tightly. He doesn't think he's seen anything more beautiful.

He knows she's close, her toes long since curled, whimpers floating into his ears. Determined to have her finish first, he removes one hand from the grip on her hips and runs it along her skin, the soft expanse marred with scars from her hard life as the Avatar, not unlike his own from the streets. She clenches around him and cries his name, a sound he will never get tired of hearing as long as he lives. He falls soon after, and collapses next to her on the bed.

Korra cuddles up next to him, but Bolin knows she'll soon fall asleep and roll over, hogging the covers. But for the moment, he's content to hold her in his arms, feel the expand of her ribcage as she tries to catch her breath in the afterglows of sex.

He's still counting down the days until he can call her his wife.


	3. Sweets

**AN:** Prompt - making a gingerbread house / pastries for the holidays in general?

I wanted it to be fluffy but then I got carried away.

* * *

"Mmm.. whatcha doing?"

"Hey!" Korra slaps Bolin's hand away from the small bowl of brightly colored candies sitting near her creation. "You can't eat those!"

He pouts at her, a good impression of the way she does it. Korra feels her face flush and her tongue darts out to wet her lips. "I'm making a gingerbread house, Bo. And it takes a lot of focus."

"Doesn't look like it does," Bolin says, bending down to observe her gingerbread house more closely. "You're just sticking stuff to a cookie with icing."

"It's hard work getting the walls to stay together," Korra huffs, adjusting the roof. It keeps collapsing in, and no matter how much icing she globs on, it won't stay. Her two hands aren't enough to keep it up.

"I can help," Bolin offers. He gives her the sweetest polarbear-puppy dog eyes she's ever seen, and she really does need another set of hands.

She chews on the side of her lip. "Okay," she relents. "Here. Hold the roof where my hands are now."

"Here?" He puts his hands close to hers, and Korra can feel the warmth radiating from them. His are massive; pale and dotted with scars and calluses. Korra's cheeks warm up again at his proximity.

"Yeah." She lets go and pushes his hands into the position where hers were. He's easily holding up the roof, humming a little song to himself. While she works on securing the cookie architecture, he eyes the gumdrops. Really, she wouldn't miss just one.

Bolin waits for a moment when Korra's eyes are off the roof, and he removes one hand to reach for the candy. The house promptly collapses, the cookies breaking under the pressure. Korra looks completely devastated.

"Bolin!" she scolds, her face scrunching, upset that her creation she spent so much time on is nothing but rubble. She wields the only weapon she has - a pastry bag filled with white icing - and squeezes it at him.

The earthbender blinks at her, seemingly stunned, a healthy coating of sugary white frosting on his front. Korra feels her lips begin to twitch up, and she snorts.

"Oh, that's how you wanna play, huh?"

Before she knows it, a handful of candies are headed her way, and suddenly everything in the kitchen is fair game. The bowls of flour and sugar she used to make the gingerbread, icing, candy, and a bowl of melted chocolate are all weapons at their disposal. Korra pelts Bolin relentlessly, both of them laughing heartily. When she reaches into the flour bowl and finds nothing, she realizes they've thrown everything there is to throw.

The kitchen looks like a bomb went off in it, and Korra and Bolin were right in the center. She takes him in - completely covered in sweets, his eyes twinkling, strong arms clutching his middle as he laughs.

There's a glob of frosting on his nose, and without thinking, she closes the distance between them and kisses it away.

He stops laughing instantly, eyes boring into hers. His hitched breath is invitation enough for her, and she impulsively slides her mouth down from his nose to capture his lips with hers.

It's like a floodgate has been opened, and he kisses back enthusiastically, cupping her face in his filthy hands. Korra can't even begin to decipher the emotions washing over her except that this feels _right,_ she wants this. She tangles her fingers into his hair, further soiling it but not having the heart to care. Pressed closer together, she swipes her tongue along his bottom lip, sighing into his mouth when he responds.

Somewhere between feverish kisses and sloppy affections, she moans his name aloud, and he's nearly undone. Bolin fluidly grabs Korra's hips, forcing her to hitch her legs around his waist, and carries her to the dirty counter. There, he places her down and attacks her mouth with new fervor, pressed flush against her when she scoots her hips all the way to the edge.

Bolin breaks away to catch his breath, marveling at the sight of Korra, covered in everything he threw at her and still stunning. Her lips are swollen and bruised, cheeks flushed, pupils dilated, chest rising and falling as she gasps for air. Her nipples show beneath her tight shirt, reminding him of just how uncomfortable his pants are growing. Something she can certainly feel, their bodies meshed so tightly together in all the right places.

"We can clean this up later," she pants.

"Yeah." He can't look away from her.

"Bedroom."

"Yeah." Dazed.

"_Now_."

He snaps out of it, picks her up off the counter, and puts her on the floor. No sooner have her feet touched the floor than he's taken her hand and is dashing for the men's dormitory, running too fast for any acolyte or family member to stop and ask what is going on.

They have sweets to taste.


	4. Jealous

**AN:** Prompt: Bolin showing off/impressing a bunch of ladies at the SWT's winter solstice/festival, and Korra being jealous and realizing she has a crush on him

I like to write introspection

* * *

She's not sure what the gnawing feeling in her stomach is until Bolin begins to flex for the crowd of swooning girls around him.

He's so charming and naturally likable - of course he's going to attract attention anywhere he goes. Down here in her hometown, the Southern Water Tribe, she knows that the pickings of boys are pretty slim. Most of the girls, if they choose not to leave, will marry and start a family with someone they've known since birth, but probably don't love, out of sheer necessity. It was one of the reasons - a small reason, but a reason nonetheless - why she was always so anxious to leave, to see the world. She had no desire for any of the boys she occasionally got to see on her trips out of the compound.

A laugh from Bolin startles her out of her thoughts, while the small crowd of young women pass Pabu around, cooing over red fur and tiny paws and a wet, quivering nose. He's soaking up the spotlight on him, enjoying the attention. And Korra knows exactly why.

Bolin is the younger brother, the baby, the clown. All his life, he's either hidden away or stepped back in favor of Mako. He's told of fans dying to meet him, who take one look at the aloof firebender and immediately flock to him. She knows the sadness that wells up in his green eyes - something she's ashamed to remember that she caused in that awful kiss - and how he almost immediately brushes it off, pretending he's fine, that nothing is wrong. His bottling of emotions is infuriating, but there's nothing she can do about it.

Because he isn't hers.

Korra blinks. She's never thought like that before. She's always imagined Bolin as off-limits - he's her closest friend, something she cherishes - he's the brother of someone she once dated for a rocky two months - she can't even begin to imagine breaking his heart, _again_.

No, as much as she tries not to think about it, she can't have him.

But the knots in her stomach, watching him flirt with random girls - she _does_ want him. _Badly_. She wants all the soft gazes and tender smiles for herself. She wants his gentlest of touches and sloppiest of kisses. She'll gladly trade everything away for his love in return. Because there is no possible way that he still loves her.

Not after she broke his heart.

—

"It's so beautiful," she sighs, watching the aurora australis, the Southern Lights, dance across the night sky. Even after having watched them her entire life, she's still awed by the natural phenomenon - the raw power of nature, the beauty, the wonder. Her tribe has a festival around this time each year to celebrate the lights, dancing and eating and laughing together. In the South Pole, where not much happens, it is a welcome change from the monotony of daily life.

"Yeah," Bolin says, and points at a light that has just turned green, his favorite color. "Look, Korra!"

She doesn't look. She's too caught up in him - the happy gleam in his eye, the flush of his cheeks, the rare show of pure joy from him. Korra feels a breeze pick up the ends of her hair and softly blow them around, but she's unable to take her eyes off of Bolin. He's so perfect to her in that moment that she can't help herself.

Korra pushes herself onto her toes, grabs the lapels of his furry coat, and kisses him.

She can tell he's surprised at first - he doesn't kiss back, frozen, a statue. But she feels him slowly warm up, his lips responding, arms coming to wrap around her waist to hold her closer. Korra can hear herself sigh when he leans down and involves his tongue, tracing along her lips, begging to be let in. She opens her mouth and lets her own arms rest around his neck, tangled in him, wanting to live in the moment forever.

He's the one to break it off, pulling his face mere inches from hers, panting. His breath creates puffs of air that steam in the sub zero temperatures. Bolin doesn't let go of her, instead choosing to stare her down, soaking up the image, she imagines.

Korra shyly grins at him after a while, blushing, feeling so comfortable around him, yet also feeling new and exhilarated. His lips quirk up too, corners of his eyes crinkling, a smile stretching from ear to ear. He picks her up and spins her around, snowflakes twirling, lights still shimmering above.

She could definitely get used to this.


End file.
